Flying News; or, Seringapatam taken by stratagem!, William Dent, 1792

Dundas runs full speed (left to right) along a garden path, carrying on his head a large castellated fortress, 'seringapatam', bristling with guns, along the top of which the dead body of 'tippo' lies prone, with two swords and a bayonet piercing his breast. The fortress is enclosed within a bubble, formed by a blast inscribed 'stock exchange' which issues from a mouth on the extreme left. Dundas has entered from an open gate in a wall (left), on the further side of which is a building inscribed 'kew'. In his haste he has overthrown a beef-eater who lies on the path, saying, "why you drive all before you, from one extreme to another - the last express you brought in a broad wheeled waggon. " a bearded jew looks over the wall, saying, "by cot a mightys as well as make monies dis humbug was a very coot joke to see a wise man run away with a shadow. " dundas runs towards a mound (right) on which stand the king and queen, small figures inspecting 'seringapatam' through telescopes. The king says, "what! what is this coming in such a great hurry"; the queen answers, "a strong easterly wind i think. " dundas says, "great news! muckle news! ay my bonny ones an ye ken i 'ave got tippo and his capital, by my troth, it's as true as the vestal!" round the king and queen are large thistles, indicative of scottish influence; these grow also in the foreground (left) beside a wilting rose. After the title is etched: "this stockjobbing humbug succeeded so wonderfully in obtaining a general credit, as to induce a certain secretary to run with the greatest expedition to kew, and to deliver, with the utmost confidence, the ideal intelligence he had grasped so greedily, but! alas! to his confusion, the extended bubble soon burst into nothing, and he found precipitancy had placed him in a situation truly laughable and ridiculous!" 21 may 1792 etching. Date: 1792. Dimensions: Height: 248 mm; Width: 346 mm. Medium: paper. Depicted People: Charlotte, Queen of George III. Collection: British Museum. Flying News; or, Seringapatam taken by stratagem! (BM 1868,0808.6197)